CABLER DECIDES RIVERA'S SIGNS WILL COME DOWN

By Juan Montoya
Well, it looks like City of Brownsville manager Charlie Cabler hasl decided that the over-sized political signs used by the Joe Rivera campaign – among others – will have to come down.
Cabler reached that decision this afternoon and called Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos' administrative assistant Cris Valadez to tell him that not only will Rivera have to take down the over-sized signs, but that Cascos will have to remove one of two 4' by 8' signs on a vacant lot near Stilleto's along the U.S. 77 Frontage Road.
Valadez said a worker was on the way to remove one of th two signs placed one on top of the other.
Joe's signs became an issue after Valadez, sent off a letter to Evarsito Gamez Jr, the city's Permitting Director, questioning the size of Rivera's signs. 
In his letter, Valadez tells Gamez that the city ordinace regarding campaign signs states that "signs must be no wider than 8 feet, and the effective area of the sign should not exceed 36 ft. I am including pictures of candidate for Cameron County Judge Joe G. Rivera's political signs, that are more than three times the square footage allowed by the ordinance. His signs are 8x12. I would like to know if the city does not plan on enforcing this ordinance, could you please let us know so we can put signs that size as well."
Rivera's signs aren't the only ones that are in apparent violation of the city ordinance. The Jonathan Gracia and Mary Esther Garcia and Juan Magallanes campaign laso made use of the signs during the primary and the subsequent runoff. Some of those signs – especially Magallanes  are still visible in the city.
Rivera had not heard from Cabler when we spoke to him, but he said he was awaiting the decision.
The 36-yeaqr veteran county clerk said he and Valadez got into a small argument over the signs and that it quickly deteriorated into cross accusations going back to the time that Valadez was a member of the board of the Brownsville Public Utility department.
"They caught him stealing water and energy," River recalled. "Not only for himself, but also for his brother. And he was a board member. He was lucky that Armando Villalobos was the D.A. then."
Valadaez has a slightly different version of the confrontation that took place in County Administrator Pete Sepulveda's office.
"He was shaking with anger," Valadez recalled. "I mentioned I had heard rumors he had been taking money to fix DWI tickets and  though I was going to give him a coronary."
With the decision by Cabler that the over-sized signs will have to come down, expect those from other campaign to be taken down as well.
Valadez, for one, is claiming victory in this round.
"It's Maclovio 1 and Joe Rivera 0," he said.
One sign that Rivera's campaign workers won't have to take down is the one erected at the corner of Pablo Kisel and Morrison Road. After campaign workers placed the sign, the wind from a sudden storm this weekend blew the heavy frame down a few feet from the roadway.
Valadez's letter lists at least four other locations where the Rivera signs are placed.